Monetary donations may be made by contacting Maggie Lengsfield at maggie@bishoprealtors.com or Erin Matthews at ematthews80@gmail.com.

Food fights have come a long way since “National Lampoon’s Animal House” (1978) with fraternities throwing food at one another in a college cafeteria.

For the past two years, the Junior League of Wichita Falls has organized the Junior League of Wichita Falls Food Fight, where various Junior Leagues vie to see who can collect the most non-perishable foods to benefit their food banks like the Wichita Falls Area Food Bank.

The 3rd Annual Junior League of Wichita Falls Food Fight began Monday Feb 26, when Junior League members set up boxes across the area for people to donate non-perishable food. As of Feb 23, there were 50 boxes across town, and the number was continuing to grow.

The event culminates from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday March 3 at United Supermarket on 4516 Old Jacksboro Highway, said event co-chair, Erin Matthews.

“People can drop off their donations, or they can go shopping at United and drop off items afterwards. We will have a ton of people from the Junior League and the Wichita Falls Area Food Bank there who can help get food out of a someone’s car or whatever help they might need.”

The Junior League of Wichita Falls is competing to raise the most food against Junior Leagues in Amarillo, Bell County, McAllen, Odessa and Lawton who are also participating. The recipients will be their area food banks

For all the food and donations collected in Wichita Falls, she said, one hundred percent of the area proceeds will benefit the WF Area Food Bank.

Last year, Matthews said, the Junior League event raised 14,859 pounds of food. “We want to beat that number, which is a big goal this year. We want to raise over 15,000 pounds, and we are really competing against ourselves from last year.

Despite the fact, the WFJL is “competing” against 5 other Junior Leagues, “everybody wins,” she said. “There are no losers.”

Matthews said people can donate most any kind of non-perishable food items. There is a list of items on the JLWF.org website, but really any kind of non-perishable food, she said.

Volunteers will begin picking up donated food from the area boxes at 5 p.m. or so today (Friday) and start taking it to United. There is still time to bring food to boxes on March 2, she said. Or, people are welcome to drop it off Saturday morning or early afternoon on March 3 at the United on Jacksboro Highway.

The Wichita Falls Food Bank helps provide food, in many different ways, to people in 12 North Texas counties.